July 2009

Ravi Shankar is undoubtedly India’s most famous musical export to the west. Born on April 7, 1920, he has made a significant contribution in making Indian classical music popular in the western world. He is a legend in classical music and second to none when it comes to playing Sitar. One of the early movers, he dared to dream big and even collaborated with top music groups of west. The hidden gems of Indian music were unearthed by west thanks to the persistent efforts of Pandit Ravi Shankar. He is a winner of Padma Vibhushan, Magsaysay Award and two Grammy Awards.

Pandit Ravi Shankar was born in holy city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. His elder brother was a renowned classical dancer and even went on to perform in Paris. This happened way back in 1930. Ravi Shankar’s inclination to join dance soon gave way to classical music and he started to learn sitar from no other than Allaudin Khan. His initial foray into classical music saw him joining IPTA and composing music for several ballets. He first stepped outside India in 1954 to perform in old ally Soviet Union. Apart from that, Ravi Shankar performed at famous places like Edinburgh Festival and Royal Festival Hall. His moment of truth came when he collaborated with legendary group, The Beatles. The fusion music created by him and George Harrison made Indian classical music very popular in west. Ravi Shankar has also won India’s highest civilian award ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 1999. He is a true legend in by every yardstick.